Charles and His Wish

By BlackJack

There once was a kitten named Rosie, a small girl named Marie and a cockroach (yes, a cockroach) named Charles. Rosie had found Charles walking around the house one night, and being too small to know much about insects, she had befriended him. Charles had a sad tale, he was so unhappy being a cockroach.

He knew his kind were reviled by humans, and he dreaded growing up and being so hated. He felt that he had been placed into this body by mistake, in a twist on Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". He and Rosie became fast friends, always talking about philosophy and Rosie learned much from Charles.

Marie didn't get to meet Charles until early one morning. Rosie and Charles had been having a particularly lively discussion about life after death, and morning had come without them knowing it. Marie toddled into the kitchen and there sat Rosie and Charles, deep in discussion. Marie was very curious and went over to see what was going on here with her sweet Rosie.

Charles was worried at first, but this small human hadn't learned to hate his kind, and the little girl sat down and was solemnly introduced to Charles. Rosie explained to Marie, as only kittens and small girls can understand, that Charles felt he was trapped in the wrong body. Charles wanted to be a kitten! He wanted desperately to be loved and cuddled, and felt he would never find that as a cockroach. Marie thought and thought, but she wasn't sure how to help. From that time on, Marie always made sure to wake up early, so she could join in the interesting conversations between Charles and Rosie.

Time passed, and Rosie grew into a teenage cat, but she and Charles continued to talk, and Charles had found such a wonderful friend in Rosie, and also in Marie. One fateful morning when they were deeply engrossed in a discussion of reincarnation, Marie's mother happened to come in. Poor Charles ran, but to no avail, and his worst nightmare had come true. Big humans hated his kind, and his time on earth was ended. Marie was inconsolable, and poor Rosie moped around all morning, mourning the loss of such a wonderful friend.

Tears flowed from both kitten and child, and the mother was distraught, not understanding what was causing such sorrow. "It was only a cockroach", she told them, but that only created a new stream of tears.

Later that afternoon, after Rosie and Marie had cried themselves to sleep, there came a small meow at the window. There sat a handsome kitten, a classic brown tabby, with spectacular tabby markings. He mewed and mewed, and finally Rosie and Marie woke up. They thought it was just a visiting kitten, until they heard his voice. It was Charles! He meowed and meowed, shouting his joy, and Marie called out to her mother to come see the new kitten named Charles. Rosie was dancing about and waving her tail, and she and Marie were so ecstatic, that the mother let the kitten into the house.

Charles, in his new body, went right over to the mother and began to purr and rub against her legs. He looked up at her with soulful eyes, begging to be allowed to stay. "It's Charles! It's Charles!" shouted Marie, and pleaded for him to become a member of the family. Now what mother could resist this kitten with the wise eyes and handsome markings.

Charles was duly adopted into the family, and the three friends, Rosie, Charles and Marie, became even closer than before. They had witnessed something very special, and had learned that even a lowly cockroach may be a king in disguise.